Custom Conveying System Increased Productivity, Minimizes Hazardous Dusting

System from Spiroflow and Cablevey also maintains product integrity, meets strict hygienic requirements for food handling.

2 Min Read
Conveying system
Spiroflow and Cablevey Conveyors collaborated to provide Scottish oats producer Oat Co. with a custom conveyor system. Image courtesy of Oat and Co.

Operating as part of Automated Handling Solutions (AHS), Spiroflow and Cablevey Conveyors recently collaborated to provide Scottish oats producer Oat Co. with a custom conveyor system.

The conveyor has not only helped increase productivity, but has also allowed Oat Co. to minimize hazardous dusting, maintain product integrity, and meet strict hygienic requirements for food handling.

Oat Co. Scotland has specialized in growing oats for eight generations. Using a state-of-the-art oat mill and specializing in gluten-free operations, Oat Co. needed to replace its existing bucket elevator for rolled oats with a new conveyor system. To meet stringent food safety standards, the solution needed to be fully enclosed to ensure that the oat-based products were not contaminated with external foreign particles during the conveying process - it also needed to eliminate “dead areas” where the product could accumulate and degrade. It also had to be designed to fit the existing setup and integrate with the current oat mill.

The solution consisted of a Cablevey tubular drag conveyor system and a Spiroflow low-loading bulk bag filler with an integrated holding hopper. The tubular drag conveyor system gently delivers the rolled oats to the filler in a totally enclosed environment, minimizing both degradation and dusting. Incorporating an inspection camera monitoring system and clear inspection ports to ensure proper maintenance, the hygienic conveyor can be quickly cleaned using the dry wiper disc system to wipe away accumulating fine particles. 

The bulk bag filler contains a low-loading ramp and low-profile pallet base to enable the unloading of filled bulk bags by pallet truck when a forklift is not available. The filler also minimizes dust with a reverse-jet filter and accurately fills by weight with its low-level weighing platform to minimize overfilling and product giveaways.

“We selected the Cablevey conveyor because it offered gentle conveying of our product within a totally enclosed conveying solution, thereby eliminating any chance of contamination by an external foreign body,” said Oat Co.’s Ray Marquardt. “The conveyor offered a much more hygienic solution than a bucket elevator, with little or no dust being generated internally or externally. The system certainly delivers on its promise.

“Overall, the design of the system ensured perfect integration with the rest of our existing purpose-built plant. The commissioning process was the best I have experienced in 20 years in the industry and ensured fault-free running from start-up.”

About the Author

Powder Bulk Solids Staff

Established in 1983, Powder & Bulk Solids (PBS) serves industries that process, handle, and package dry particulate matter, including the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical markets.

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